Working With Those With Special Needs

My mother is a special needs teacher. Ever since I was a young girl I have helped volunteer at various events such as the Greenville County Special Olympics. This year the Greenville Olympics were held in April, however there are still ways to help. There are many fund-raising activities that you can help out with. Just check out http://www.so-sc.org/ to find out more information about all of the opportunities to serve. Also, if you live in Greenville County, we have the Washington Center for Special Needs. The Washington Center "provides opportunities for students to explore and develop potential for independent functioning and community involvement by addressing students' individual needs and creating a partnership with home, school, and community." This is a great place to volunteer. They have a summer program called "extended school year for special needs in Greenville County" students arrive at Washington Center at eight in the morning and stay until eleven. There are many different classes and each teacher could use some help so if you would like check out http://www.greenville.k12.sc.us/washctr/index.asp

Kelsey's Army

I am sure if you have been watching the news lately you have seen the tragic story of Kelsey Smith. This is a huge time of need for Kelsey's family. And as I have said before, giving your money and prayer support is just as good as giving your time. If you would like to get information on offering help and much needed support to Kelsey's family please visit www.kelseysarmy.com

Letters that mean so much

My brother is currently deployed in Iraq, and one thing that really comforts him is letters from home. If you are short on time to volunteer with an organization for a certain number of hours, writing letters to our troops is a great way to make a difference! I know that Pontiac has partnered with A Million Thanks to help raise the number of letters being sent to our troops over seas. This is one of the best ways to send a letter to our troops. Just compose a letter of encouragement, find a dealership nearest to you and put the letter in the drop box. "Amillionthanks" should also be an inspiration to all teens to make a difference. This huge program was started by a teenage girl, Shauna Flemming who helped support our troops by collecting letters form church congregations and various school organizations. Her program grew so large that she has drop boxes posted in a various Pontiac dealerships throughout the nation. So don't let anyone tell you that you can't make a difference as a teenager! To learn more about A Million Thanks check out http://amillionthanks.vox.com/

Samaritan's Purse

I received a letter in the mail a few days ago from Samaritan's Purse that asked for me to make a donation to aid in the assistance of the families involved with Virginia Tech Massacre. The giving of funds is a great way to help out your community. So please check your mail to look for opportunities to serve. Now there is no excuse to not help out...you don't even have to leave your home to help others. Samaritan's Purse is great organization to donate money to; they help provide care for those who have faced natural disaster (hurricanes, tornados, famine) and those who have faced major crises ( 9-11, Virginia Tech massacre). They also have a great program around Christmas time called Operation Christmas Child. Participants collect small gifts and place them in a shoe box that will be sent to third world countries and children who would not usually receive a present on Christmas day. This is a great way to others and to get into the spirit of giving.

Palmetto Pride

Palmetto Pride is a wonderful organization that is committed to eliminating litter and promoting the beautification of our great state! They have massive media campaigns that publicize their cause. In fact this weekend's emphasis is their Zero Tolerance Campaign, in which law enforcement are going to be patrolling our roads and highways ready to enforce our no tolerance laws for litter.

They also motivate and organize groups to clean up the already existing debris. They have four essential areas of concern: education, enforcement, awareness and pickup resulting in behavioral change.

You should check out their site for more information and to find out how you can get involved...
www.palmettopride.org